Government extends apprenticeship grant for employers

A scheme which provides employers with grants of up to £1,500 for each apprentice they train has been extended to 2016.

In his budget today, Chancellor George Osborne announced the apprenticeship grants for employers (AGE) scheme would be funded with £85m in both 2014/15 and 2015/16.

It had originally been due to end in December.

The National Apprenticeship Service provides AGE funding of £1,500 per qualifying apprentice aged 16 to 24.

The scheme was set up to target employers with fewer than 1,000 employees, which are new to apprenticeships or haven’t enrolled a new recruit or existing employee onto an apprenticeship programme in the previous 12 months.